10 Incredibly Relaxing Things to Do in NYC

Andrew

4 years ago

Relaxing Things to Do in NYC in 2022

The High Line

If you’re looking for an incredibly relaxing activity in NYC while also doing something that’s completely contradictory to what you’d expect from the Big Apple, head to the High Line.

Built on a historic, elevated rail line, the High Line is a public park located on the West Side of Manhattan that offers an almost out-of-world experience. In a city with more than 8.5 million inhabitants and even more tourists, it feels wrong to have the chance to stroll through something so peaceful.

But that’s exactly what you can do at the High Line.

Spend any amount of time walking through the gardens, looking at the art, watching a performance, or having a bite to eat, and you’ll see what I mean.

Aire Ancient Baths

Aire Ancient Baths are—hands down—one of the most relaxing ways you can spend your time in New York City. Nestled in a pre-twentieth-century building in Tribeca, Aire Ancient Baths tackles stress and elicits relaxation with thermal baths and massages—all in an environment reminiscent of Ancient Roman, Greek, and Ottoman civilizations.

Spending time here won’t be cheap—it’ll cost you anywhere between $125 to $836 per person—but if you’re in the area and have the means, it’s worth every penny.

New York Public Library

Don’t want to spend your entire budget in one place? Check out The New York Public Library instead. Since 1895, the NYPL has been an essential provider of books, information, ideas, and education for millions of New Yorkers. Today, the library system offers close to 100,000 free programs, like author talks and exhibitions. Of course, if you don’t have time for a program, nothing’s more relaxing than browsing the shelves and sitting down with a good book.

Keep in mind that if you plan on stopping here, you’ll need a library card (restricted to NYS residents).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is one of the largest art museums in the world (top-to-toe with the Vatican Museums and The Louvre), containing more than two million works, including “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze and “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat” by Vincent van Gogh. Pretty neat, right? For any art lover, The Met is a must.

The 2.2-million-square-foot building, located at 1000 5th Avenue, is a massive maze of art sectioned into seventeen departments, giving you the chance to see art from Africa and Oceania to the Americas and Egypt.

While a complete tour of the museum will set you back 3-5 hours—and even more if you’re a big plaque reader—any time spent at The Met will be a welcome break from the commotion of the city.

Admission to The Met: Adults $25; Seniors (65 and over) $17; Students $12; Free for Members, Patrons, and children under 12

Any Coffee Shop

If you’re looking for a relaxing time, you can’t go wrong with a coffee shop. Offering a uniquely calm atmosphere, the more than 3,000 coffee shops in New York City can act as a gathering place for friends, family, and a quiet respite or pit-stop for caffeine on an otherwise hectic day.

Cool NYC Coffee Shops

Lenox Coffee
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Birch Coffee

The Strand

If you fancy a good coffee shop, you’ll like the endless shelves inside the walls of Strand Book Store. A fixture in NYC for nearly one hundred years, you’ll find a fascinating curation of new, used, and rare books bound to get anyone in their happy place. (Pun intended.) Before going, however, keep in mind that The Strand is a hopping place, so if you’re looking for a serene experience while you browse, you’ll be sorely disappointed. If that’s what you’re looking for, opt for Argosy Book Store, McNally Jackon, BookCourt, or one of my favorites, Kinokuniya.

The Uncommons

I’m not the biggest board-gamer—at least not yet—but if you are and rely on games to ease your mind, The Uncommon is for you. If you’re not familiar with the place, think of it as a game-store- and coffee-shop hybrid that offers a unique assortment of both common and, well, uncommon games, including Catan, Cards Against Humanity, 7 Wonders, Magic: TCG, and A Game of Thrones: The Board Game.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Spending time in Brooklyn? Make sure you carve out some time to stroll through Brooklyn Botanic Garden and take in 52 acres of some of the best urban gardening and horticultural displays. I’m a big fan of Aquatic House, which is home to plants from the garden’s orchid collection in addition to a variety of tropical and subtropical aquatic and wet-environment plants from around the world. And if you’re looking for something more than just smelling the roses—proverbial or not—you can plan your visit around activities like Yoga in the Garden.

The Met Cloisters Museum & Gardens

Didn’t get your art and garden fixes at The Met or Brooklyn Botanical Garden? Well, you’re in luck. The Met Cloisters has plenty more for you to see. Located in Fort Tryon Park, the uptown branch of The Met is America’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the art of the Middle Ages, giving you the rare opportunity to experience the rich tradition of medieval artistic production, including metalwork, painting, sculpture, and textiles. And do it all while shuffling through the cloisters (covered walkways) that surround a large open courtyard, providing access to other monastic buildings.

SoJo Spa Club

Admittedly, the SoJo Spa Club isn’t in NYC, but it’s close enough that you can easily make it part of your exploration. Located in Edgewater, NJ—just 10ish miles away from Manhattan—the SoJo Spa Club offers an unparalleled wellness experience that includes outdoor pools and baths, saunas and therapy rooms, a bathhouse, and more. There’s even coworking space if you want to add some relaxation to your workday.

Central Park

I mean, come on. Open a good book on a bench, walk the perimeter of the lake, visit Shakespeare Garden, stroll through The Ramble or fill your time with dozens of other activities and attractions. When it comes to relaxing in New York City, there’s no better place than Central Park.

A Walking Tour

This is a little more open-ended than the relaxing ideas listed above, but I’d be remiss not to mention walking tours on my list of relaxing things to do in NYC since 99% of them require you to do nothing more than showing up…and walk. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of them around the city, but a quick Google search will show you some awesome options, no matter what you want to do. Two of my favorites are the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour and New York Catacombs by Candlelight.

Just Walk

If all else fails, you’ve exhausted all of your options, or don’t want to spend any more money, just walk. A stroll—however long it may be—in New York City is one of the most relaxing things you can do.

If you do find yourself opting for a walk around the city, I’d suggest at least doing a bit of research before you start putting one foot in front of the other. While New York City can be a good place for a mindless meander, getting lost won’t exactly help you stay relaxed.

Relaxing in NYC: It’s Easier Than You May Think

I’ll admit that I don’t always think of New York City as a place that oozes relaxation. I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way. Despite that, however, NYC can be a relaxing place. Whether you want to take a mindless stroll, go birdwatching in Central Park, browse The Strand or something in between, there’s no shortage of relaxing things to do in NYC.